


Running Water

by Maybethings



Series: May Be Promptin' [22]
Category: Dragon Age
Genre: Drabble, Fluff, Gen, Kadanmance, Pic Fic, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-07
Updated: 2011-10-07
Packaged: 2017-11-03 21:04:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/385926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maybethings/pseuds/Maybethings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Inspired by Jakface's Sten Week fanart. Warden Theramina Brosca forgets her boots by the river, but when she looks up again...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Running Water

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Jakface: So I heard it was Sten Week](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/7981) by Jakface. 



They found a valley at sundown: a place of soft grass, clean stone and running water. Lots of it, in fact, as the river they'd been following now cascaded into a shallow pool before flowing on its merry way. Theramina had declared it bath night for everyone, and to his credit, Gelert only flinched slightly when she brought out the soap. Slowly, the noise of camp and the splashings of people getting clean faded into a comfortable silence, punctuated only by the rush of the water, the crackling of the camp's flames and Gelert's contented snoring. Mina nudged his snout with her bare feet, crooning mockeries at him with the deepest of affection.

She only remembered her boots when she turned to put them on again.

Huffily, Mina stomped back to the water's edge, looking for her footwear. Stupid boots. It was totally their fault that she'd forgotten them. She found them waiting almost saucily for her in a clump of weeds. Mina snatched them up, prepared to leave, and stopped short.

Sten stood hip-deep in the water, face turned away from her as he shed a damp undershirt. His back and shoulders were mapped with numerous raised scars that stood out boldly beneath the moonlight. Stone's blood, but she'd never seen so many scars. Or so much back. When he turned to the water, her hands started to tremble; when he let the cascade play over his fingers and chest, and his whole posture relaxed even as the cold air made his gooseflesh stand erect, she fumbled and dropped both boots on one foot.

The resulting stream of profanity sent the birds wheeling out of their roosts, and Sten whirling towards the source of the noise. Mina saw curling down from his navel a flash of pale  _something_ , snapped her eyes shut and raised her hands as high as they would go. When she finally dared to open her eyes again, Sten had Asala gripped firmly in one hand, the other still raised into the water.

She couldn't help it. She just stared dumbly at the whole incongruous scene. _Where had he learned to twist like that?_ she thought dizzily.

"Warden. Why are you staring?"

"I...was wondering where you had that sheathed, really," she said, voice breaking into a squeak in mid-sentence.

"There was an outcrop behind the water," he replied. "I do not allow myself to go unprepared. As should you." He flicked a Qunari-sized handful of water at her, which was enough to soak her braids through. She spluttered and spewed and rubbed her eyes clear, by which time Sten had at least managed to put his sword away and take up his underclothes—which he apparently intended to clean along with himself.

"You may want to soak that foot of yours," he added, his smile very, very well-hidden. "Or we will not be ready to leave in the morning."

She did just that as Sten cleansed himself, and for a long time she would hold on to that moment: the feel of water flowing over her sore toes and the grass beneath her fingers, the smells of the cool air and Sten's soap and her own damp hair, the rush of water and her kadan's tuneless humming, and the gleam of wet dark skin below the stars.


End file.
